Film Reviews

Film Reviews for local independent films in Utah.

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Losing Your Mind

Zak Phillipy's latest film is remarkably stunning considering he and much of his production crew are under 18 years of age. In just a few short years his works have dramatically improved and 'Losing Your Mind' is of no exception.

What's even more remarkable is that for a group of filmmakers at their ages have managed to tell this dark tale about a man fighting against some inner demons within the recesses of his subconscious. Therein lies the bulk of the story- a man's mind is transferred into a digital code and placed within another body. Internally however, the man struggles with trying to grasp the reality of what's happening, running through a door into one facet of his mind after another and being watched over by a dark hooded figure.

The story does come with a few problems, stemming from not fully conveying what is happening on screen. This is immediately done within one of the first scenes of the film in which an apparent mother figure signs away for the doctors to begin the procedure of a digital mind transference. The mother role raises more questions than it provides answers, and the body in which the mind is going is left with no explanation of any kind. The failures establishing these important elements from the beginning makes it hard for one to understand the open ending.

The film's successes are in the cinematography, editing, and good performances. The first time I saw the film I thought acting was a bit weak, but on repeated viewings it managed to get progressively better and didn't take me away from the film. The often standing still or mysteriously lurking hooded figure throughout the mind sequences were a very nice touch and added a strong sense of dread.

Honestly, upon learning the ages of the filmmakers, 'Losing Your Mind' became far more impressive as Phillipy and his team have surpassed many veteran filmmakers who also screened their works at the Demon Chaser Film Challenge.

You can watch the film here:

Grade:

Acting: C+

Not the greatest acting, but passable.

Direction: B

Truth be told, a mind trip can be a lot harder than you think to capture perfectly on film and a little more thought going into the more confusing aspects of the film would have made this a standout winner.

Script: C-

Basic story premise was good but lacked comprehensive exposition.

Cinematography: B

Good use of camera, lenses, and lighting.

Editing: B

The flow of the film progressed as it should.

Sound Design: C

Audio needed cleaning up from one take to another. It was occasionally distracting.

Makeup: NA

None.

Music: B

Score was placed well and added to the unique strangeness of the film.

Final Grade: B

'Losing Your Mind' was not the greatest film at Demon Chaser, but it came daringly close. The film was enjoyable and at least watchable unlike some other films from veteran filmmakers who have attempted similar material. 

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Post Parcel

'Post Parcel' premiered at the Demon Chaser Film Challenge and was quietly nestled between one dark macabre piece after another. The problem here is that the film is anything but a horror film while playing so perfectly well within the horror genre. The film is part family drama, part black comedy, and part tear jerker- a complete juxtaposition of the horror backdrop in which the film is set.

Being dropped off at an airport by his loving family, a father promises his daughter that he'll look for a knick-knack she's never seen before. Unfortunately for the family, they receive life altering news of his death and at the funeral the daughter receives her strange oddity sent to her by her father. The gift is that of a cursed necklace thought to bring its owner two wishes but at a cost. Her wish is for her father to come home, and when he does he isn't quite the same.

The film has a very Lifetime movie of the week feel, starting off at the airport with the family saying their good-bye's. It then shifts to a scene where the daughter is playing at a park, playing a rather foreboding game at the same time her mother receives a phone call informing her of her husband's fate. In a seamless transition, the film becomes a black comedy of sorts at the funeral with comic relief stemming from an inconsiderate visitor and the arrival of a mailman. The final scene of the film however, is brought on by the daughters wish to have her father return home and his arrival is grotesque. This leads to a tender moment between father and daughter, allowing the dad to say his final good-bye's.

The acting in the film is rather good- the father played so natural and his daughter kept the entire film grounded when so many varying genre's were thrown at the audience. The daughter of course, serving as the eyes of the audience, reminding them how to feel from scene to scene. Their final moments together was touching, tender, and more importantly, not something you'd expect to feel in a horror film with a zombie standing at your door.

Production values on the film were standard with nothing major worth commenting on, with only a few missteps in cinematography but it didn't hinder the film in any capacity. The story being enjoyable overall, although the inclusion of the funeral comic relief could have easily been removed without losing much of what the filmmakers were trying to tell.

You can watch the film here:

Grade:

Acting: B

Father and daughter performances stand out nicely and play off one another with ease, however a few background speaking roles were overdone or hammy.

Direction: B+

All basic elements of the film fell together nicely.

Script: A-

An easy to follow progression hitting the important notes and being a clever reversal of zombie and horror tales made the story quite endearing.

Cinematography: B-

Basic cinematography with only a few missing elements such as an establishing shot setting up the final scene.

Editing: B

A trim here and there would help and the removal of unnecessary funeral hijinks but worked regardless. Color correction was nicely done most notably within the cemetery.

Sound Design: B

Overall the film sounded good although a few background sound effects were a bit high.

Makeup: A

What we saw of the makeup (done well with cinematography) it looked extremely well done without going grotesquely over the top as with most zombie fare.

Music: A-

The film's score was very subtle and entirely effective, and featured a childish fairy-tale quality that worked well.

Final Grade: B+

'Post Parcel' is a wonderful little family film set against the backdrop of something horrific that played perfectly with the audience. Outside of a horror film festival setting it may be more difficult to entice an audience but it's cute and charming qualities will melt their hearts.

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Monster

Out of 20+ films that screened at the Demon Chaser Film Challenge in 2013, there were a couple of standout projects. One was ‘Monster’ which was a highlight of the evening. From first viewing, it is apparent that the filmmakers understand not only the genre but also the audience.

‘Monster’ tells the tale of two young boys who are left home alone while watching a horror film and spend the rest of the night at the mercy of the very monster they saw on television. As the film progresses, the threat of the monster becomes more and more real until a startling revelation is made within the final few frames. There was a level of sophistication in the film that stood above and beyond other films at the screening, from it’s very simple script and the complex layers underneath. The film’s opening sequence which establishes the two boys watching TV told the audience everything they needed to know. Then the boys, and the audience, was taken to a very different world up until the finale. For a film that has child actors carrying much of the weight of the film, they didn’t do a bad job, yet more emotional hysteria would have been a nice touch. The titular Monster got progressively more disgusting and threatening as the film went on, from vomiting on a child in a cage and scalding another with an iron.

The atmosphere the filmmaker builds upon was unlike any other throughout the night, and deservedly won the award for Best Cinematography. The highly stylized film captured an essence of old classic films perfectly, hitting the style and mood of the Hammer Horror films of old. It was exceptionally well lit and camera placement and frequent hand-held shots only built up tension. At first glance the film is pretty basic, but I’ve picked up on so much more with repeated viewings. Writer and director Brandon Young spared no expense at the attention to detail and pays off beautifully with the final scene- a jolt of raw reality, making the audience reflect on everything they just saw and realizing the film’s true depth.

You can watch the film here:

Grade: Acting: B+ The boys in the film did a remarkable job but more could have gone a long way. Direction: A Despite wanting more out of young actors, everything in the film was carried out with someone with a vision. Script: A- Simple, yet effective. Cinematography: A Beautiful. Atmosphere and execution was top notch. Editing: A- A little trimming here and there wouldn’t hurt. Sound Design: A- Overall good sound design but needed adjustment on a few levels. Makeup: A Great makeup effects all around and didn’t exceed what was needed to be effective. Music: A The film’s score was exceptional.

Final Grade: A ‘Monster’ was just a wonderful visual experience all around and was one of the most startling and captivating films of the night.

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Ivory

The short film ‘Ivory’ from writer/director Warren Workman made it’s debut alongside a dozen or so other films at the Demon Chaser Film Challenge in 2013. This serial killer tale begins with a presumed real estate agent being dropped off to do some work within a home she’s selling, while intercutting to a bound woman in a bathtub. As the agent enters the home, she discovers the captive in the tub and proceeds to explain that she likes the woman’s ivory colored skin whilst revealing that she is the serial killer all along.

There really isn’t much in the film worth liking, sorry to say despite the filmmakers trying extremely hard to pull this off. Some portions of the film work and a lot doesn’t. To jump right in, the only major positive thing to point out are the effects with quite a grotesque skinning sequence. It looked remarkable and made me wish the entire film was up to that level of perfection. Everything else was either boring or material and concepts that have been done time and time again in nearly every indie film since the dawn of time. The main problem here is that while we’ve already seen this all before, the filmmakers make no contributions to cinema of any kind. It is difficult to not repeat something that’s already been done, but those who do, try to bring something new to the table. It’s presentation, set up, and pay off was not only predictable from the start, it resulted in one boring snooze-fest. The performances are, sad to say, blah. The woman in the tub gave such a drizzle of a performance that I was nearly cheering for her grotesque demise. The lead actress offers nothing of relevance either, riding in on her good looks and cup size and not paying any attention to her acting abilities. Maybe she has it in her, but with ‘Ivory’ it was noticeably absent. The opening scene had to have been dubbed and was strikingly apparent, taking me out of the film from the very beginning. The story was mediocre and suffered from the screenwriters misunderstanding of how to formulate a good script. As the film progressed, I found myself doubting everything and wondering what precautions the killer was taking to prevent her capture as she was making very clear mistakes, proving that the filmmakers paid very little attention to detail.

You can watch the film here:

Grade: Acting: C- Performances were boring with absolutely no depth of any kind and every word, every line seemed forced and/or unnatural. Direction: D Got to hand it to the director for lining this production up, but his lack for attention to detail causes major shortcomings in the final film. Script: D It wouldn’t hurt for any screenwriter to find new ways of exploring material that we’ve seen on nearly every episode of CSI. Boring. Cinematography: B Camera work was straightforward and conveyed the message well enough. The film’s lighting could have made for a better mood setter. Editing: C Basic cutting worked to the advantage of the film here, although cutting out the opening scene and trimming down the excess fat in the middle of the film would have helped tremendously. Sound Design: B Overall sound design was good. Makeup: A The skinning effects and the skin mask were beyond fantastic. Music: B- Rather simplistic score but worked to emphasize specific moments.

Final Grade: C ‘Ivory’ treads no new territory whatsoever and suffers dramatically on trying to show off the female roles with attempts to try and come across as risqué. Decent cinematography and outstanding makeup effects at least make the film passable as entertainment.

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Look Who's Talking

This should not be confused with the film with the same title starring Kirstie Alley and John Travolta but rather a Utah based indie short film from Ryan McDonald. In all honesty, the title of the film makes little sense but titles should be the least of worries for the filmmakers and instead should’ve focused on making something worth watching.

This black comedy attempts to tell a story of an infant who, for reasons unknown, can make people do what he wants. The baby through some magical and unexplained gift of telekinesis, makes who we assume is his father make a fool of himself for his own enjoyment. Then, GASP, this 8 month old child makes his father(?) kill his mother.

Short films don’t need to really explain much and can be weird for the sake of being weird, but there is nothing in this five minute tale that has any sort of appeal. Story aside, the acting was mediocre and made worse by absolutely horrific camera work and subpar editing. As far as camera goes, it would be nice if the subject wasn’t hanging out of frame throughout most of the duration, and the color correction didn’t match up from one take to the other. The final film is borderline unwatchable unless you’re looking for a film that instructs newbie filmmakers what not to do.

You can watch the film here:

Grade: Acting: C The no dialogue in the film doesn’t save a viewer from watching lackluster performances. Direction: D The material and the films production crew appeared to have walked all over the director, if there was one. Script: C- It was clear that there was somewhat of a story and it could have worked if the cast and crew were capable of conveying it. Cinematography: F Rule of thirds, please. Films have guidelines for a reason. Editing: D+ Editing is passable, but just barely. Sound Design: C Meh. Makeup: D Yes, there was blood effects in the movie and wasn’t consistent at all. A script supervisor would go a long way. Score: NA No credit was given to a composer therefore I am assuming it was royalty free stock music. Final Grade: D It is really hard to take this film or any of it’s production crew seriously. It’s downright difficult to sit through.

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Ghost Phone

The very concept of ‘Ghost Phone’ is one of pure simplicity, but in the filmmakers mentality of keeping things simple they managed to deliver a film that was genuinely unique. It was not the only film at the festival that’s story was emotionally spirited, but out of the many films screened it stood out above so many others. Basically a story about a man grieving over the loss of his wife, he is told of a strange place that allows for phone calls beyond the grave. Wanting to speak to his wife one last time, he ventures to the location at precisely 4:04 in the morning and discovers the truth in the rumor. Above all things in this film was the telling of story. Again, only a few films at the fest told a coherent story and everything the audience needs to know is told in the first two minutes of screen time. What drives the story are feelings- a man wanting to speak with his dead wife. Motivated by this seemingly impossible opportunity, the main character fails to heed the warning of his friend who brilliantly and nonchalantly glosses over the redneck who owns the property.

‘Ghost Phone’ is almost a near perfect independent film that focused entirely on build up of specific story elements while not forgetting about other well-placed beats. I say near perfect because there was only one confusing aspect to the story and the rest of the failures come with technical aspects. Again, the filmmakers kept it simple and didn’t attempt to squeeze more than needed into a 7 minute short, and should be something of note to other screenwriters and directors.

The film also snagged up the award for Best Acting, and I dare say that it was deserved. Obviously it’s not an Oscar contender in regards to performances, but in comparison to other films at the festival it was a step above. With only two actors (speaking) and a simple voice over, the audience believed in the emotions presented, and thus, understood the baggage that motivated the story- I’ll say again, motivated the story through use of characters! A sequence near the end of the film where the lead speaks with his wife was touching.

Technical aspects that needed work lies within nearly all other aspects of filmmaking- editing, cinematography, and the sound design. The opening scene was a very dry, somewhat numb edit, yet got better throughout the film. Accompanying the bad editing was very obvious sound problems that served only as a distraction and not helped by bland cinematography. This would work had this film been the first time these filmmakers made a film but it’s not. A little sound cleanup and re-editing key sequences could do a lot for this film.

You can watch the film here:

Grade

Acting: A-

Not the greatest, performance driven film ever made but certainly the best at the festival. Beyond that it would be somewhat forgettable.

Direction: B-

The emotional aspects of the film were played out nicely, a testament to the director, yet the technical portions of the film failed short.

Script: A

A wonderfully executed script.

Cinematography: C-

Nothing of note and bland, but I’ve seen worse.

Editing: C

The film was coherent and told it’s story but a little cleanup and rounding the edges wouldn’t hurt.

Sound Design: D

A terrible distraction.

Makeup: NA

None.

Music: C-

The film’s score was forgettable as I’m having a hard time even remembering if there was a score in it. Someone did receive a credit so apparently there was.

Final Grade: B-

Good performances throughout and a solid telling of a very simple story work greatly in favor of ‘Ghost Phone,’ making the film enjoyable and worth watching.

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Pennywise

The film ‘Pennywise’ is a new film from James Cawley and it’s quite unnerving- that is if you have a strong disliking for clowns. The term “film” should also be used sparingly as it’s not so much a film as it is a “clip.” If you’ve read Stephen King’s IT or seen the made for TV adaptation then you know exactly what this is. As the title suggests it’s about the entity known as Pennywise, famously portrayed by Tim Curry.

'Pennywise' begins with a little girl whose lead astray and finds the titular character standing in a pond with a bouquet of balloons. Years later, four friends meet up to make a pact to fight against the creature that has haunted them for so many years, leading them into a darkened cave where they are confronted by Pennywise once again who tells his visitors that he will 'tear off their faces.'

That’s it.

The film looks impressive, aided by Cawley’s camerawork and the rather frightening makeup for Pennywise- definitely the look of what nightmares are made of (and winning the award for Best Makeup at the event for which it was made).

To call ‘Pennywise’ a film is a bit of a stretch. There is no progression of story and features no resolution of any kind. The four friends and their pact are given no explanation, only making sense to those familiar with the works that inspired it. What inspires these characters to descend into the clowns lair is given no exposition, nor do any of the characters. ‘Pennywise’ does a wonderful job at enticing the audience and makes one wanting to see where Cawley and his team takes us with the material, but it’s abrupt ending with no supporting establishments of story leaves one hanging. Is this a small part of a much larger tale? Do the filmmakers have more to this? I hope so, otherwise what work they put into it is useless.

Everything in the clip is exceptionally well done. Sound design, cinematography, editing- all done to perfection. The story didn’t receive the same treatment. Perhaps that is the lesson to those making fan films- you cannot assume that everyone watching is familiar with the world in which you are playing. We need to see more. We need to understand more. If this is just a sample of what’s to come in a much larger tale, consider me interested. If not, it’s terribly disappointing.

The film, er clip, can be watched here:

Grade:

Acting: B-

Performances on screen were well done. The lack of exposition and characterization renders this category nearly obsolete.

Direction: B

Nicely done with the material presented to the audience.

Script: F Unless you are familiar with King’s source material, there is nothing in this film that constitutes as a script.

Cinematography: A

Impressive. Camera placement and the use of ominous lighting worked perfectly.

Editing: A Not only did this clip run smoothly, but the perfectly timed cutaways added great tension. Only wish there was more to support it.

Sound Design: A-

Sound worked very, very well. It added a great sense of dread, terror, and tension and wasn’t overdone at all. The only downside was in the voice of Pennywise which was rather difficult to understand what he was saying.

Makeup: A The makeup artists’ interpretation of Pennywise was wonderfully done. The teeth were a great touch. What stood out with makeup was that it was it’s own design and didn’t rely on the visuals of the character’s earlier incarnation.

Music: B- The film’s score was more atmospheric and was easily lost within the sound design.

Final Grade:  B-

All elements were in place with the exception of the script. Had there been a story this could have easily been one of the best films at the Demon Chaser Film Challenge.